US Customs and Border Protection officers seized giraffe and zebra bones from a Virginia woman at a Washington, D.C. airport on November 10 after arriving home from her trip to Africa.
According to the press release, the woman was traveling from Kenya and had kept the bones as souvenirs. Customs agriculture specialists discovered the bones after her baggage went through the X-ray machine. For now, customs officers detained the bones and sent them to the US Fish and Wildlife Services.
Customs Seized Giraffe and Zebra Bones in DC Airport From a Woman Who Took Them as Souvenirs From Kenya
These Souvenirs Could Get Tourists in Trouble
USFWS inspectors reported on November 17th that the bones violated provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Lacey Act. Due to that, they directed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to seize the bones.
CBP acting area port director Kim Der-Yeghiayan said in the press release that they could appreciate tourists wanting to keep souvenirs from their vacation. However, bringing bones and alike could violate laws governing the conservation of species in the US and other countries.
He emphasized that CBP strongly encourages tourists or travelers to know what they are allowed and not allowed to pack in their baggage before returning or visiting the US to declare all items during arrival. The woman was not criminally charged but the bones were seized.
Local news outlet WTTG-TV reported that it is not the first time that unusual objects were seized at the Washington airport. Last September and October, customs agents seized over $200,000 in unreported currency from travelers coming from Africa and Asia.
A previous incident in March was also reported when over a dozen counterfeit designer brand wristwatches, handbags, and sunglasses arrived at the airport from Dubai.
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Status of Zebras and Giraffes
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC), giraffes have scientifically been considered an endangered species although it is not yet legally recognized.
The giraffe population declined 40% overall in the past 30 years and now there are only 68,000 left in the wild. The remaining herds are a reflection of the threats they face every day, such as habitat loss and poaching.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has found that giraffes are "vulnerable" species, which means they are at high risk of extinction in the wild.
Meanwhile, zebras are classified in general as near-threatened species as per Discover Wildlife. Zebras are native to Africa and are distinctive single-hoofed animals that live in herds.
There are different species of zebra found in the wild and each of its stripes is completely unique. But among these species, the Grevy's zebra is the rarest and is classified as an Endangered species by the IUCN Red List, followed by the Hartmann's mountain zebra as Vulnerable species, and the Cape mountain zebra listed as Least Concern.
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